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Day 1
DEPART CANADA
Overnight flight to Rome.
Day 2
ARRIVE ROME (3 NIGHTS)
Welcome to Rome, the Eternal City! Relax after your journey or explore this fascinating city on your own. Later, meet your companions and Travel Director for a Welcome Reception. It’s the perfect opportunity to get to know everyone! An orientation drive will take you to view St. Peter’s Basilica - the perfect start to your Italian holiday!
M: Moderate, D: Deluxe, SF: Superior First Class, F: First Class. For further details please see the notes section below.
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Day 3
ROME SIGHTSEEING
Your included sightseeing tour with a Local Guide begins at the Vatican Museums. Experience a Unique Insight in the Vatican when you ascend the smooth and step-less spiral staircase designed by famous architect Donato Bramante. Admire Michelangelo’s magnificent frescoed ceiling in the Sistine Chapel and then visit St. Peter’s Basilica to see his famous Pietà. Later, see the Forum, centre of daily life in ancient Rome and visit the impressive Colosseum, the largest in the Roman Empire. See the Circus Maximus where Ben Hur-style chariot racing took place. Spend free time discovering more of the city or relax at a pavement café and watch the world go by.
Day 4
ROME AT LEISURE
Spend today as you please. Your Travel Director will be able to help you get the most from your day at leisure. Alternatively, consider joining an excursion to the renowned excavations at Pompeii, close to the Bay of Naples.
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Day 5
ROME - ASSISI - FLORENCE (3 NIGHTS)
Drive north to the mystical town of Assisi on the slopes of Mount Subasio. Your Local Guide shows you all the sights. Visit St. Francis’ Basilica and see Giotto’s enchanting frescoes. Visit the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, which stands on the site where St. Francis died. Arrive later in Florence, birthplace of the Renaissance.
M: Moderate, D: Deluxe, SF: Superior First Class, F: First Class. For further details please see the notes section below.
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Day 6
FLORENCE SIGHTSEEING
Learn about Florence’s rich cultural history during your sightseeing tour with your Local Guide. See Piazza Signoria, with its impressive sculptures and imposing palazzi, and the multi-coloured marble Duomo and Baptistery, famous for its bronze doors with relief sculptures. View the Ponte Vecchio, one of the city’s most famous landmarks.
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Day 7
FLORENCE - EXCURSION TO PISA
Cross the Arno Valley to Pisa, a former maritime city on the Ligurian Sea. In the Square of Miracles, home to some of the city’s most famous sights, see the incredible Leaning Tower and the beautifully sculpted marble Cathedral. See the Baptistery and the cemetery, built on soil brought from Calvary in the Holy Land. Spend free time shopping for souvenirs in Florence, renowned for high quality leather and 18-carat gold jewellery. This evening, travel to a Tuscan wine and olive oil estate for a special Be My Guest Dinner in a historic castle.
Day 8
FLORENCE - BOLOGNA - VENICE (3 NIGHTS)
Travel through the Apennines to Bologna, home to one of the oldest universities in Europe and famous for sausages and salamis! Your sightseeing tour with a Local Guide includes views of the Kissing Towers, which lean towards each other, seemingly poised to embrace. Later, cross the Veneto plains to Venice. This Byzantine city, constructed in a lagoon, has an incredibly rich cultural and artistic heritage. This evening, you might like to take a gondola ride along enchanting canals - it’s the perfect introduction to this magical city! Dine tonight at your hotel.
M: Moderate, D: Deluxe, SF: Superior First Class, F: First Class. For further details please see the notes section below.
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Day 9
VENICE - CANAL CRUISE AND ORIENTATION
Savour the unique sights of Venice as you cruise by private launch to St. Mark’s Square. See the Bridge of Sighs, Palladian Churches, Customs House, Grand Canal, St Mark’s Basilica and the ornate Doge’s Palace. Watch the Venetian craftsmen at work creating local specialities at a glass-blowing workshop on Giudecca island. Free time is an opportunity to visit the Fine Arts Academy, simply relax at a café on St. Mark’s Square or consider a boat trip to the Island of Burano for a delicious seafood lunch.
Day 10
SECRET VENICE WALKING TOUR AND VISIT TO THE MARKET
Enjoy a boat trip along the Grand Canal to the Rialto Bridge to join your Small Group Sightseeing walking tour of the colourful, centuries-old fish market and narrow ‘calle’ or streets. See the beautiful architecture, including Marco Polo’s house. For the rest of the day you are free to visit the sights of your choice. Celebrate this evening with your fellow travellers at a Farewell Dinner in a local restaurant.
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Day 11
VENICE - CANADA
Say ‘arrivederci’ to Italy and your newfound friends at the end of your memorable Italian vacation! Transfers are available. Conditions apply.